Permanency Tip of the Week: Trusted Adults
One of the critical roles in a youth / young adult’s life is that of a trusted adult / mentor. In a similar way to the process undertaken with family finding in which we need to ask the youth / young adult who is in their life, who do they want to be in their life and where these people might live, we also need to ask the youth / young adults themselves, who are the trusted adults / mentors in their lives? The answers given by the professionals and those by the youth / young adults may not necessarily be the same. Before we start assuming whether or not an individual has a trusted adult in their life as well as whom that person is, inquire with the youth / young adult – there opinion is the most valuable.
Permanency Story of the Week: After finding a forever family, Thomas gives back
Before he was adopted by his best friend’s mother, Joy, Thomas relied on the support he received from the DC Foster Youth Initiative, or DCFYI. DCFYI finds host parents and mentors for foster youth, and works to build lasting connections between foster teens and adults. DCFYI believes in the power a positive family influence can bring into a child’s life, and has established a strong community dedicated to providing a loving and accepting environment for foster youth.
Thomas’ involvement with DCFYI did not stop after his adoption. Now, he is committed to giving other foster youth the support and guidance he received from DCFYI. Before his adoption, Thomas’ future was unclear. Now, with a stable and loving family to encourage all of his endeavors, Thomas will certainly be able to continue making a difference!
Current Permanency related articles:
California – Statewide Probation Permanency Report
Please see the attached report detailing the amazing efforts by several Juvenile Probation Departments providing Permanency for our Youth in the Probation system.
Archived NRCPFC Webinar on Infant Mental Health
The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC) webinar, A Coordinated Systems Response to Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Young Children in Child Welfare, is now archived on the NRCPFC website. Access the PowerPoint presentation and listen to the audio recording of this webinar to learn more about programs, resources, and approaches through which professionals in the child welfare, mental health, and court systems can support the mental health of infants and very young children in the child welfare system.
Hard to Find Family for Davion? Not Really…
Davion Only, 16, the Florida orphan who made international headlines last year with his public plea for a forever family, has recently been kicked out of a home in Ohio that had planned to adopt him. According to reports, Davion got into a physical altercation with one of the children at the home and since then, he has been transferred back to Florida for treatment administered by the Tampa office of Eckerd Youth Alternatives.
This latest setback for Davion is one of many that he’s had in foster care. His father’s whereabouts are unknown and his mother is deceased. Since Davion’s story has been made public, he has attracted over 10,000 inquiries. Kevin Campbell wasn’t one of those 10,000, but felt compelled to help Davion. On his own time, he utilized his skills as a world-renowned family-finding expert and located 52 of Davion’s relatives. Here he talks about those findings and his hope for children like Davion.
Finding Adoptive Families for Sibling Groups
This article from the National Resource Center for Adoption’s (NRCA) newsletter, The Roundtable, focuses on the importance of maintaining sibling connections when agencies seek prospective foster and adoptive families. It highlights relevant policies and research related to sibling groups, and spotlights resources available from AdoptUSKids.
Foster youth face high risk of identity theft
Children in foster care are at greater risk of becoming victims of identity theft and entering adulthood with their credit already in shambles, experts say. Child advocates say that foster youth are particularly vulnerable to identity theft because they bounce from one home to another, giving an expanding group of adults access to their private information.
Foster youth finds his stride, full-ride scholarship
Jaquel Pitts entered foster care when he was 5 years old, moving through six homes before aging out of the system at 18. That might sound like the first line of a sad story, but as Pitts is quick to point out, that is the stereotype. His future is looking very bright. Pitts, now 20, graduated from Central Valley High School in 2012 with a 2.8 grade-point average, a B minus. He went on to the College of the Siskiyous in Weed, a community college, graduating this spring with an associate degree in social science and a vocational degree in business. After completing some units at Reedley College near Fresno this summer, Pitts said, he will head to Albany State University in Albany, Ga., with a full-ride scholarship and plans to play on the university football team.
Former foster youth Lexie Gruber played a vital role in changing Connecticut’s policy on foster youth education. Foster children face unique barriers to educational success. This is something I know, because I experienced it myself. Connecticut Voices for Children was inspired to bring this issue to the attention of lawmakers. They arranged a conference at the State Legislature on January 16, 2014 and invited state lawmakers and community advocates to have an honest conversation about the educational challenges facing youth in state care. As a result of the forum, the state legislature proposed two bills to help mitigate the educational challenges facing youth in stare care. The first bill would require schools to share educational information with foster parents and attorneys of the children in their care. The second would require DCF to maximize the enrollment of foster children in preschool programs.